This invention relates to a tie-down rail within the load-carrying bed of a pick-up truck or the like, and more particularly, the present invention relates to such a tie-down rail supported to extend within the confines of upstanding, longitudinal side walls for the load-carrying bed and, when desired, along the front side of the truck bed which is opposite the usual tailgate for attaching rope or other anchor mechanism extending from a load within the truck bed.
A pick-up truck and similar load-carrying vehicles usually incorporate stake pockets at spaced locations along opposite side walls of the truck bed. The stake pockets open out of the top edge of the side walls such that vertically-arranged stakes can be supported in the stake pockets. Sometimes the stake members are short or separate bolt-on brackets are used to support rails for extending along above the top edge of the bed side walls. The stakes can be used to anchor rope or other tie-down devices connected to cargo in the load-carrying area of the pick-up truck. In this way, the cargo can be secured to prevent possible unsafe operation of the vehicle due to shifting of the load as well as preventing possible damage to the load because of an impact or pounding with a contacted surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,562, there is disclosed a cross beam to anchor cargo in a bed area of a pick-up truck by arranging the cross beam to span the distance between the side walls and supporting the beam by stake members in stake pockets. Sometimes such stack pockets are used to support a demountable rail or stake body structure such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,230. Vertical stakes support nestable slats and the space between the slats could be utilized for securing a rope or other anchor device to a slat for preventing an unwanted shifting of cargo in the cargo area of the vehicle. The attachment sites for a rope on structures supported in the stake pockets are above the top edge of the side wall for the cargo area. The appearance of the stake members may be considered unsightly and they can be missing or even damaged at times when they are needed for tieing down cargo. Depending upon the circumstances, it is sometimes far more efficient to use attachment sites for ropes that are closer to the load-support area in the bed of the truck, and more particularly, below the top rim or edge of the side walls of the truck.
The stake pockets of a truck are sometimes covered by covers, usually called "caps" or "campers", that are transported along with the vehicle as an integral part thereof. Such a cover overlaps the top rim of the truck bed and thereby prevents access to the stake pockets for their use as receivers for stake members. This precludes the use of known tie-down apparatus as discussed above.